Wait, where are you going? Why are you running away?? I SAID WE HAVE BEER!!!

Well, I guess I don’t blame you. You probably have your own porch, where you don’t have to worry about contracting tetanus. Or the plague. Aren’t you fancy? All I can offer is the assurance (probably) that most of those paint chips ground into the carpet are probably not lead-based.

I’m not a gardener. I mean, as far as chores go, gardening is okay because you get to be outside. But in my mind there’s very little difference between weeding a garden and vacuuming the house. Except for the outside part. My point is, I don’t garden the way a gardener would, using it as a way to relax. I like to get it all done in one big gardening binge, then sit around and relax in the garden. Maybe with a home-brew.

And now, I finally get to sit down and relax in my yard. Or more likely, head back into the kitchen. Because all the major yard work is DONE for the season.

I mentioned at the end of my last post that we needed a fence to keep the dogs in the backyard, so we could give our front yard a break. I didn’t want to build anything too expensive permanent, since we still have high hopes of winning the lottery and subsequently building a garage back here. So I went to the Home Depot to see what I could find that would discourage the dogs from running away, but still be easy to remove when it comes time to build that garage.

I continue to avoid the kitchen with the excuse that I’m waiting for Chris to get home from work and finish the range hood/vent project.

I’ve been filling my time by slathering lipstick on our pig of a yard. I told you about my attempts to pretty-up the front yard. Now it’s time to show you what I’ve done in the back yard! (Warning: it’s not much.)Continue Reading

We haven’t started drywall in the kitchen yet. We decided to do one more thing before closing it all up: add an exhaust system to direct-vent the range hood, rather than sticking with the recirculating-fan system.

But that’s Chris’s project. So while he waits for all the parts he needs, and I wait for him to finish it up, I’ve been working in the yard. ‘Tis the season, anyway.

But I’m gonna let you guys in on a little secret (confession?). We’re a little bit ghetto. Our house is a bit of a fixer-upper. Also, it’s in a not-so-nice neighborhood. Also, we’re broke. What I’m saying is this: you’re about to see some before-and-afters, but “after” isn’t really accurate. There’s a lot more to do. Someday, when we have money and all of my Big Ideas have been implemented, my “after” pics will look like something out of Better Homes and Gardens. But for now…well, you’ll see.Continue Reading